Lifestyle
Kenny Rogers Biography: 13 Facts You Should Know
Kenny Rogers Biography: Kenny Rogers Death, Kenny Rogers Albums,Kenny Rogers Restaurant, Kenny Rogers Found Dead, Kenny Rogers 2019, Kenny Rogers Wife, Kenny Rogers Children, Kenny Rogers Songs, Kenny Rogers 2020.
Don’t be afraid to give up the good for the great. I am much more comfortable singing than talking.
This were actually the words of the king of King of Country music, Kenneth Ray Rogers, popularly known as Kenny Rogers.
Here are 13 facts you should know about Kenny Rogers, as the New York Times referred to him as: a prolific singer who played a major role in expanding the audience for country music in the 1970s and ’80s.
1. Early life
Kenny Rogers was born the fourth of eight children on August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas. His parents were Lucille Lois born in 1910–1991), a nurse’s assistant, and Edward Floyd Rogers (1904–1975), a carpenter. Rogers was said to be of Irish and Native American ancestry. Rogers attended Wharton Elementary School.
2. Kenny Rogers Marriages and Divorce
Kenny Rogers was married five times (with each marriage lasting longer than the previous one) and had five children. He married Janice Gordon on May 15, 1958; they divorced in April 1960 with one child. Rogers married Jean Rogers in October 1960 and divorced her in 1963. He married Margo Anderson in October 1964 and divorced her in 1976 with one child. Rogers married Marianne Gordon on October 1, 1977, and divorced her in 1993 with one child. Rogers married for the fifth and final time when he married Wanda Miller on June 1, 1997. The couple had twin sons together.
3. Kenny Rogers and Wanda Miller
Kenny Rogers and Wanda Miller met in an unexpected way in Atlanta, Country Rebel reported. He was on a blind date, but he was smitten by her instead. He called the restaurant later and asked about Miller, who was 26 at the time. She returned his call after her coworkers convinced her they weren’t playing a joke on her. They married on June 1, 1997.
4. Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame
Kenny Rogers started his career in the late 1950s and quickly became active in rockabilly, jazz and other genres that he brought into his country style. He went on to have 24 number one hits, was a six-time Country Music Awards winner and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world’s largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music.
5. Kenny Rogers success
Though Kenny he was most successful with country audiences, Rogers charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres, topped the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone, and sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
6. Photography
Kenny Rogers was also an avid photographer. In an interview with The Dallas Morning News Kenny said photography was one of his strongest passions.
He decided to turn that passion into something his fans could enjoy as well. In 1986 he released his first photography book Kenny Rogers’ America, and followed up with a second collection in 1987, titled Your Friends and Mine.
7. The ‘Lady’ (1980) Song
This song was written and produced by Lionel Richie, and is one of Kenny’s biggest hits. Speaking about his collaboration with Richie, Kenny once said: “The idea was that Lionel would come from R&B and I’d come from country, and we’d meet somewhere in pop”.
It’s no surprise that these two stars achieved success; it reached number one in America and peaked at number 12 in the UK.
8. Kenny Rogers was tennis player
Kenny Rogers was actually a professional-level tennis player, and often looked out for courts at every tour stop for many years.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Kenny Rogers said he played tennis for 10 years, eight hours a day every day and developed a national ranking while he was on the road playing with Wimbledon champs.
9. Kenny Rogers had a goat
Yes! Kenny had a goat as a pet named Smitty which he acquired from a friend back in 2008.
He lived with the goat at his home in Colbert, Georgia. He said the goat was his centre that gave him a calming influence after long and stressful touring schedules.
10. Kenny Rogers was a film and TV actor
Kenny Rogers starred in the 1982 movie Six Pack, as a race-car driver, and it was a moderate hit at the US box office. He also starred in made-for-TV movies such as The Gambler series, Christmas in America, and Coward of the County that was based on his hit song).
Kenny was also the host and narrator for the A&E historical series The Real West, and made guest appearances in The Muppets.
11. Kenny Rogers retirement
In 2015, Kenny announced his farewell tour, titled The Gambler’s Last Deal. He said that it was his intention to retire from touring at its completion, though he was considering recording another studio album.
On April 5, 2018, it was announced that Kenny had to cancel his remaining tour as advised by doctors, due to a series of health difficulties.
12. Kenny Rogers Last concert
His final concert in Nashville took place on October 25, 2017 at the Bridgestone Arena, where he was joined by many artists including Little Big Town, Lionel Richie, The Flaming Lips, Travis Tritt, The Judds, Kris Kristofferson, Alison Krauss, Chris Stapleton, Lady Antebellum, Idina Menzel, Reba McEntire and Jamey Johnson.
The concert also included a special appearance by his long-time friend Dolly Parton, who performed ‘You Can’t Make Old Friends’ and ‘Islands in the Stream’ with Rogers for the final time.
13. Kenny Rogers Death and Cause
On 21st March 2020, The Rogers family through social media announced that Kenny Rogers had passed away that night at 10:25PM at the age of 81. Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family.
Sing with the angles Kenny, we shall meet at the other side of the river, where life is eternal.
